. Chiwala

By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
EXPERTS from the Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ) have confirmed that the Kariba North Bank is facing low water levels due to low rainfall the country experienced during the 2014/2015 rainy season.
Some stakeholders have blamed the current load shedding on Zesco’s incompetence and not the low water levels at the Kariba North Bank as contended by the Government and the power utility company.
However ,two months ago the EIZ tasked experts to carry out  a study to investigate the real causes of the current load shedding in the country and recommend immediate measures to reduce the impact.
From the information obtained during investigations, the report stated that it was clear that Lake Kariba started experiencing low water levels during the 2014/2015 rainy season.
In a presentation, EIZ president Bernard Chiwala said experts tasked to undertake the study have confirmed low water levels at Kariba North Bank.
“The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) report in July this year showed that despite restriction of water use, Zesco continued to generate way above the revised threshold of 500 megawatts leading to the net drawdown of the reservoir,” Mr Chiwala said.
The team observed that remedial measures by Zesco were not implemented timely despite early indication of subdued water levels.
The team of experts also found that Kafue Gorge and Itehzi Itezhi power stations were operating normally.
EIZ in the report launched yesterday has since urged Government and Zesco to put in place short and medium term measures to mitigate the impact of load-shedding.
Among the measures, should be coming up with a Statutory Instrument (SI) to compel all new estates not to install water geysers while the existing ones be given a fixed period to migrate to mitigate electricity deficit.
Government needed to come up with an SI to direct all upcoming estates to use solar for water heating.
“Customers in high density and medium residential areas should be encouraged to use gas for cooking and on the other hand Government needs to come up with SI to direct new estates to install solar geysers, while giving the existing estates a fixed period to migrate,” Mr Chiwala said.
The report has also suggested that Zesco should carry out energy audit in industry to encourage usage efficiency to improve the power factor.
There was also need to expedite power projects under construction such as the Maamba coal power project.
In the medium term, Mr Chiwala suggested that on-grid and off-grid renewable technologies should be expedited for distribution.
“Solar energy has emerged as clear viable option in recent years and Zambia in general has good solar resource which we need to exploit,” he said.